Onboard AWACS: A look at crew positions

The following is the second in a series highlighting each crew position of an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System. Flight engineers — Flight engineers are part of the AWACS flight deck. They are responsible for making sure the aircraft is worthy of take-off before it leaves the ground, and they help maintain aircraft safety during flights. Staff Sgt. Troy Ellison has been a mission-ready flight engineer for three years. He said it is rewarding to know that successful flights could not happen without him. “For a one-hour period before take-off and while the crew is in base [operations], I own that aircraft,” Ellison said. “If there is anything that can make the aircraft unsafe for flight, it is my job to find it.“I check emergency equipment and compute the weight and balance for the aircraft. I also calculate take-off and landing data. During flight, I monitor aircraft systems and serve as the systems knowledge expert for the airframe.”Flight engineers undergo physiological training and survival training, in addition to three months of basic flight engineer training at Altus Air Force Base. They also receive specialized training for three months at Tinker. Ellison said another challenge of being a flight engineer is gaining the initial trust of crewmembers. “The challenge is building enough competence and confidence to the point where everyone in the squadron is comfortable with what you do, since they know that I am responsible for their lives,” Ellison said.Mission Crew Commanders — Mission crew commanders, or MCCs, tie all of the mission crew positions together, ensuring the E-3 mission is accomplished.Working closely with the aircraft commander, the MCC serves as the leader of the crewmembers. Maj. Carson Elmore, with the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, has been an MCC for almost two years. He said it is vital for an MCC to stay in front of the power curve. “As an MCC, if you’re not anticipating and planning at least 30 minutes to an hour ahead, then you’re going to get run over when the inevitable ‘fog of war’ situation arises,” Elmore said.“So many things can crop up, and it’s hard to have an immediate answer each time something breaks or goes wrong. But by keeping the crew leaning forward, anticipating the next event in the battle rhythm, and anticipating the ‘what ifs,’ you curtail the effects of any problem that will come your way.”Once air battle managers have a solid grasp of battle management, leadership and aerospace power, they can be an MCC. Electronic Combat Officers — Electronic combat officers hold the newest position on the E-3. The position, designated in 1996, gives a fuller AWACS picture for air battle managers. ECOs use a passive detection system to associate any electromagnetic emission to a specific threat system. This provides threat warning not only to AWACS, but to the other aircraft in the theater as well. They also coordinate with other intelligence-gatherers to determine the primary threat for a specific region, using that information to optimize the PDS’s electronic search for threats. Capt. Rodney Pretlow, an ECO in the 965th AACS, said the most rewarding part of being an ECO is providing information that can save lives. “With the information I can provide,” he said, “the fighters flying directly over these threats are aware, and they can take the appropriate actions to either remove themselves from the threat or to destroy it.”ECO training, completed at Tinker, begins with seven weeks of learning about the PDS and its capabilities from instructors at Boeing.(October 3, 2003)